Taming the goddamn Sea and taking it's land is pretty badass if you ask me! Atleast we didn't build our cities over something like the San Andreas vault or far away from adequate water suplies!
How I earth did you not have a monarch until 1851? I guess anther way tho phrase it is, "why did you start then"?
We secceeded from, then global Superpower, Spain and became independent in 1581 under the banner of prince William of Orange. Since then we have always had a prince and he had a title called "stadholder" but this was mainly symbolic. The real powers where with the local provinces (former HRE states) and this was represented in a parliament. Parliament made descisions based on mayority votes in the chambre. When our trade and economy flourished during our "golden age" 1650 - 1750, traders and entrepeneurs had a lot of money and got more say and eventually votes as well.
The princes of orange always wanted to instate a monarchy but parliament never allowed it. There was a faction called "orangists" whom where pro monarchy but they where kept in balance by the "patriots" (Republican minded). This was actually a pretty tense political power struggle for about 150 years with many Machiavelli-like intriges behind it.
I mixed the date up btw 1815 instead of 1851. (1851 is our modern constitution)
The Netherlands fought well and hard at Waterloo against Napoleon's ressurection to power in 1815. Together with Wellington (the English) Dutch troops withstood the initial French attack and managed to delay so the allies (prussia) could combine forces and defeat Napoleon for the final time. our then Stadholder Willem I actually got wounded on the battlefield during the fighting and became quite the hero.
Due to this "important" contribution, the Dutch got to sit and pose at the victor's table. The allies agreed to form a stronger buffer on France's northern border to avoid further French wars and aggressive expansion. This ment NL got Belgium added to their nation and under their rule.
The political climate in europe at that time was starting to become more nationalistic and the modern countries started to take form. To consolidate sovereignty over our territory towards aggressive neighbours we became a monarchy (it was harder to claim territory if it already had a "devine ruler".)
Mind you, we where not stupid, so it became a monarchy based on a constitution, Parliament was still very much in control and the monarch's powers where very limited/ almost symbolic (much to the dislike of then King Willem I) but a monarchy on paper none the less.
> That is nothing to brag about.
Taming the goddamn Sea and taking it's land is pretty badass if you ask me! Atleast we didn't build our cities over something like the San Andreas vault or far away from adequate water suplies!
> How I earth did you not have a monarch until 1851? I guess anther way tho phrase it is, "why did you start then"?
>
We secceeded from, then global Superpower, Spain and became independent in 1581 under the banner of prince William of Orange. Since then we have always had a prince and he had a title called "stadholder" but this was mainly symbolic. The real powers where with the local provinces (former HRE states) and this was represented in a parliament. Parliament made descisions based on mayority votes in the chambre. When our trade and economy flourished during our "golden age" 1650 - 1750, traders and entrepeneurs had a lot of money and got more say and eventually votes as well.
The princes of orange always wanted to instate a monarchy but parliament never allowed it. There was a faction called "orangists" whom where pro monarchy but they where kept in balance by the "patriots" (Republican minded). This was actually a pretty tense political power struggle for about 150 years with many Machiavelli-like intriges behind it.
I mixed the date up btw 1815 instead of 1851. (1851 is our modern constitution)
The Netherlands fought well and hard at Waterloo against Napoleon's ressurection to power in 1815. Together with Wellington (the English) Dutch troops withstood the initial French attack and managed to delay so the allies (prussia) could combine forces and defeat Napoleon for the final time. our then Stadholder Willem I actually got wounded on the battlefield during the fighting and became quite the hero.
http://www.scheveningen1813-2013.nl/ballingschaporanjes/7frederik/10-19/12waterloo/12Dwaterloo1000.jpg Willem I is the one bottom left on the stretcher, as he was wounded.
Due to this "important" contribution, the Dutch got to sit and pose at the victor's table. The allies agreed to form a stronger buffer on France's northern border to avoid further French wars and aggressive expansion. This ment NL got Belgium added to their nation and under their rule.
The political climate in europe at that time was starting to become more nationalistic and the modern countries started to take form. To consolidate sovereignty over our territory towards aggressive neighbours we became a monarchy (it was harder to claim territory if it already had a "devine ruler".)
Mind you, we where not stupid, so it became a monarchy based on a constitution, Parliament was still very much in control and the monarch's powers where very limited/ almost symbolic (much to the dislike of then King Willem I) but a monarchy on paper none the less.
Taming the goddamn Sea and taking it's land is pretty badass if you ask me! Atleast we didn't build our cities over something like the San Andreas vault or far away from adequate water suplies!
We secceeded from, then global Superpower, Spain and became independent in 1581 under the banner of prince William of Orange. Since then we have always had a prince and he had a title called "stadholder" but this was mainly symbolic. The real powers where with the local provinces (former HRE states) and this was represented in a parliament. Parliament made descisions based on mayority votes in the chambre. When our trade and economy flourished during our "golden age" 1650 - 1750, traders and entrepeneurs had a lot of money and got more say and eventually votes as well.
The princes of orange always wanted to instate a monarchy but parliament never allowed it. There was a faction called "orangists" whom where pro monarchy but they where kept in balance by the "patriots" (Republican minded). This was actually a pretty tense political power struggle for about 150 years with many Machiavelli-like intriges behind it.
I mixed the date up btw 1815 instead of 1851. (1851 is our modern constitution)
The Netherlands fought well and hard at Waterloo against Napoleon's ressurection to power in 1815. Together with Wellington (the English) Dutch troops withstood the initial French attack and managed to delay so the allies (prussia) could combine forces and defeat Napoleon for the final time. our then Stadholder Willem I actually got wounded on the battlefield during the fighting and became quite the hero.
http://www.scheveningen1813-2013.nl/ballingschaporanjes/7frederik/10-19/12waterloo/12Dwaterloo1000.jpg Willem I is the one bottom left on the stretcher, as he was wounded.
Due to this "important" contribution, the Dutch got to sit and pose at the victor's table. The allies agreed to form a stronger buffer on France's northern border to avoid further French wars and aggressive expansion. This ment NL got Belgium added to their nation and under their rule.
The political climate in europe at that time was starting to become more nationalistic and the modern countries started to take form. To consolidate sovereignty over our territory towards aggressive neighbours we became a monarchy (it was harder to claim territory if it already had a "devine ruler".)
Mind you, we where not stupid, so it became a monarchy based on a constitution, Parliament was still very much in control and the monarch's powers where very limited/ almost symbolic (much to the dislike of then King Willem I) but a monarchy on paper none the less.